


Trust and Carbon

by Dionaea_Canis



Series: Together is Enough, Under an Honest Night Sky [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: AU where the Elric brothers never attempted human transmutation, Age Difference, Aged-Up Character(s), Alphonse is 21 in this fic, M/M, Minor Violence, POV Alternating, because Greed is still a homunculus, considerate Greed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-18 09:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15482433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dionaea_Canis/pseuds/Dionaea_Canis
Summary: Alphonse moved to Dublith with the desire to see more of the world, and when he starts spending time with a strange man by the name of Greed, the alchemist begins getting glimpses of a world he never could have imagined.





	1. Intrigue

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I only write for rarepairs these days, so here's a fic for the rarest of rarepairs! I've had this idea in my head for years, and finally decided to actually go ahead and write it. I don't know if anyone else even ships it anymore, and the fandom probably isn't even all that active these days, but if I'm writing it anyway, I figured I might as well go ahead and post it. So if you happen to be the one other person who ships this, then I hope you enjoy reading it!

On occasion, Greed enjoyed stepping just outside the entrance to the Devil’s Nest, simply to lean back against its rough stone wall and savour the fresh air. Not that the rundown slums of Dublith had the freshest air, by any means, but after spending so much of his long life in the underground and out of sight, it was still a nice reprieve. Plus, the knowledge that his subordinates were safe inside, behind the wall at his back, was well worth the less than ideal aroma. 

In the morning like this, most residents of the area were asleep after late nights out, although a few familiar faces did still make their way through. Almost everyone who lingered around here was a thug, criminal, or chimera. Greed thought of them all as his own people—those in the underground who society forced out or abused. So he gave them board in the Devil’s Nest and the surrounding area, giving them all a home in a world that offered none, so long as they followed his leadership. They were a rough crowd, but they were Greed’s. 

Lately, however, Dolcetto had told him about a kid that the chimera had noticed passing through the area on most days. Some proper-looking guy whose fashion consisted of dress shirts and suit vests, looking more suited to the middle-class neighbourhoods of Central than the slums of Dublith. What a guy like that was doing walking through the alleys near the Devil’s Nest, Greed couldn’t guess. Maybe he was too naïve to realize the danger he was putting himself in, seeing how he kept coming back. 

Greed had yet to actually see the aforementioned man himself, but it seemed that today was his lucky day. It was about eight in the morning when an unfamiliar face wandered up the street in Greed’s direction, dressed in a neat collared shirt, his short golden bangs brushed to the side. The man carried a small satchel loosely under his arm, acting like he was simply out for a stroll in the countryside, completely unconcerned about potentially being robbed or accosted. 

As the young man got closer, Greed thought about just letting him walk by. But after watching the carefree stranger for a few more seconds, the homunculus sighed and pushed forward off the wall. He supposed he should at least warn the guy—naïve brat didn’t even realize the danger he was in here.

“Hey, you,” Greed began, taking a few slow steps towards the stranger, who in turn stopped to look at him, his golden eyes curious but unworried, “This isn’t exactly a friendly neighbourhood. Keep walking through here and before long you’re gonna get robbed or beaten up. Got it?”

The stranger just blinked at him before asking, “Are you threatening me?” He didn’t sound even the slightest bit concerned, just genuinely curious. 

Greed sighed again, placing one hand on his hip and pointing the other lazily at the stranger. “ _I’m_ not. I’m just warning ya’, kid.”

A slight frown pulled at the stranger’s mouth, the first real reaction Greed had gotten out of him. “I’m not a kid. And thanks, but I can handle myself.” The golden-haired man waited a beat, and when Greed didn’t say anything further, the stranger turned and kept walking, casually continuing on his way.

Greed just shook his head at the other man and turned back around. He’d warned the guy, which was already more than he had to do, and if the stranger didn’t take Greed’s advice, then that was his loss. Greed wasn’t going to worry about some straight-laced kid—or young adult, apparently—that he didn’t even know. With that, he descended the steps back into the Devil’s Nest, surrounding himself with his subordinates in the comfort of his bar once more, enjoying the feeling of satisfaction that came with the reminder that this was _his._

\---

It seemed the golden-haired stranger hadn’t given Greed’s advice any further consideration, as Dolcetto remarked about still seeing (and smelling) the other man pass by during the following days. A few days after Greed’s gracious warning, the inevitable occurred.

It was early evening when Greed happened to be passing by the bottom of the staircase that lead out of the Devil’s Nest, only to pause at the sound of a shout and a muffled thud outside. Although he was confident his men could handle whatever they had gotten themselves into, the homunculus’ curiosity was piqued and he casually ascended the stairs, hands tucked comfortably into his pockets. 

The first thing he saw was one of the goons who resided around here, bent over and clutching at his abdomen with a groan, blood dripping from his mouth. The homunculus raised a curious eyebrow, and as he cleared the final few steps, he emerged to see another figure. It was Ulchi, the crocodile-blooded chimera that called the Devil’s Nest home. His back was turned to Greed, and beyond him the homunculus could just barely see a young man, one that was wearing a dress shirt. 

“Tch,” Greed scoffed. The stranger had really gotten himself into trouble if he’d pissed off Ulchi. Aside from Greed’s main crew, Ulchi was the next strongest underling around here. Well, perhaps a bit of a beating was just what the stranger needed in order to have some sense knocked into him.

But as Greed took a few additional steps closer, circling the group slightly to get a better view, the homunculus’ eyes widened at the sight before him. Ulchi was looking more roughed up than the stranger was, blood dripping from the chimera’s temple, like his head had been slammed against the wall. The stranger’s knuckles were scuffed and his shirt ruffled, but Greed couldn’t see any signs that a good hit had been landed on him. 

Intrigued, Greed made no move to call the fight off as Ulchi surged forward, fist rushing towards his opponent’s face. Just before the hit could connect, the stranger dodged to the side and then, with practiced ease, he grabbed Ulchi’s arm and shoulder and twisted, using the momentum to effortlessly flip the chimera and slam him into the hard stone ground. 

Ulchi’s head connected with the ground on the hit, and the chimera struggled to pull himself up, snarling and bleeding. A few paces away, the stranger had quickly crouched to the ground following the impact, and before anyone even understood what he was doing, there was a flash of light and three thick bands of stone suddenly split from the ground. The columns wrapped over Ulchi’s body, tightening and pinning him solidly to the ground, trapping the chimera’s arms under the restraints as well.

Impressed, Greed let out a low whistle and began to clap, a wide grin splitting his face.

Beside him, the other thug that had been involved in the fight had begun to stand up, and Greed simply put a hand out to stop him from rejoining the fight. The golden-haired stranger turned to look at Greed over his shoulder, but didn’t appear thrown off by his presence, meaning he had likely been keeping tabs on Greed even during the fight. The stranger stood now, turning to face him further, while simultaneously keeping the trapped Ulchi in his peripheral vision. When he moved, it also revealed the transmutation circle the stranger has swiftly sketched on the ground with chalk, its pattern precise and flawless, even when drawn in the midst of a fight. 

“You’re a better fighter than you look,” Greed remarked, grinning as he finished his clapping, “Gotta say, I’m impressed.”

“I did say I could handle myself,” the stranger pointed out, the corner of his mouth twitching up in the hint of a grin, golden eyes bright with exhilaration.

“So you did,” Greed responded simply, eyebrows still raised. 

Behind the alchemist, Ulchi still struggled against his bonds, and the sudden crack of stone drew everyone’s attention. The chimera had cracked the column that was overlapping his chest, beginning to force his way out of the hold. With an arm now free, Ulchi dug his claws into the next binding segment of stone, breaking a sizeable chunk off before fracturing that section open as well. At this, Greed stepped forward, sauntering over whilst simultaneously hardening the skin of his foot under the cover of his boot, and kicked the final remaining segment apart, sending fragments of stone scattering across the street. He extended a hand down towards the chimera, which Ulchi reluctantly took, still glowering at the golden-haired stranger. 

Pulling Ulchi to his feet, Greed began to speak, “It’s fair to say the stranger won that fight,” he clapped Ulchi on the shoulder and looked him pointedly in the eyes, “No hard feelings, yeah?” The chimera grumbled but heeded Greed’s warning and didn’t attempt start the fight up again. Greed then shifted his gaze to the other thug, who nodded, complying as well. Finally, he looked over at the golden-haired man, who also nodded in agreement.

“Splendid!” Greed declared with a toothy grin, squeezing Ulchi’s shoulder once more, angling the chimera towards the door before letting go. Ulchi raised a hand to feel at his still-bleeding head and resignedly descended the stairs into the Devil’s Nest, the other thug trailing behind him.

Once they were out of sight, the homunculus returned his full attention to the stranger, sweeping his eyes over the other man again. He really was barely scuffed up from the fight, clothes disheveled and knuckles a bit bloody—likely from Ulchi’s rough skin—but he appeared otherwise uninjured. Returning his gaze to the alchemist’s face, Greed found him looking curiously back, cheeks still flushed slightly pink from exertion.

“Didn’t catch your name,” Greed prompted with a quirked eyebrow and a grin.

“It’s Alphonse,” the golden-haired man replied with a smile of his own.

“Mine’s Greed,” the homunculus replied, gesturing at himself, his grin widening as Alphonse blinked, the alchemist seemingly perplexed.

“Really?” Alphonse couldn’t seem to resist asking, caught off guard by the peculiar name.

Greed responded with a shrug of his shoulders, “It’s the one my Father gave me. And hey, if the boot fits…” he concluded, shark-like grin widening.

Alphonse looked like he still had more questions, the alchemist’s brows drawn and his golden eyes shining with intrigue. But a moment passed in silence, and it seemed the alchemist had decided not to voice them. After a beat, Greed spoke up again.

“You should come in for a drink sometime,” the homunculus said, cocking his head back towards the entrance to the Devil’s Nest, hand raised to point behind him with a thumb as well.

“You don’t even know if I’m of drinking age,” This time, Alphonse was the one to cock a brow, grinning cheekily.

“If you’re old enough to fight like that, you’re old enough to drink,” Greed reasoned simply with a shrug of his shoulders.

Alphonse seemed to consider this, and didn’t argue the point, but did snort and mutter under his breath, “I can’t say my Teacher would agree, in that case I could’ve started by the time I was ten.” He then returned his gaze to Greed, still smiling, and added, louder this time, “I’m twenty-one, for reference.”

Greed just grinned back, pointed teeth flashing, though he was still a bit hung up on the kid’s muttering. It was reassuring to hear that Alphonse was actually an adult, though, and that his subordinates hadn’t been picking fights with (albeit very well-trained) teenagers.

“So, how ‘bout that drink, then?” Greed prompted again, and watched as Al hesitated for a moment, glancing up at the darkened sky.

“Actually, I probably ought to be heading home for the night,” Alphonse confessed, smiling regretfully, “But I’m sure I’ll see you around?” That same apologetic smile still graced the alchemist’s face, but his golden eyes were shining with a genuine glint of curiosity and interest.

Greed just nodded and turned around, non-committal, waving a hand in goodbye as he walked back towards the entrance to the Devil’s Nest, giving Alphonse free reign to leave, taking the alchemist on his word, “See ya’around.”

\---

A week passed by before Alphonse finally took Greed up on his offer, and stopped into the Devil’s Nest one evening after work. The alchemist was admittedly a bit wary about walking into an enclosed space with a bunch of people who might very well want to pick another fight with him, but he was fairly confident in his ability to hold them off long enough to get out, if need be. Plus, it seemed like even the surlier guys around here listened to Greed, so being here on the man’s invite should provide Al with an added layer of security. Hopefully.

But Alphonse had to admit he was intrigued by the strange man. His style was a bit over the top—predominantly leather, fur, and outlandish accessories—and he had an intimidating aura, but he had been entirely kind to Alphonse every time they’d interacted thus far. He’d even chatted with the other man a handful of times on his way to and from work during that week, and still the strange man was only ever good-natured and considerate.

With this in mind, Al steeled his resolve, approaching the entrance to the Devil’s Nest. There were a couple of patrons who stood near the entrance that side-eyed the alchemist as he walked in, but they didn’t make any attempts to stop the alchemist from entering.

It was noticeably cooler as he descended the steps into the bar, the short path soon opening up into a large, warmly-lit room. A bar ran along the wall at the back of the room, an assortment of different glasses and bottles of liquor scattered across its surface. Throughout the room were various tables, seats, and leather couches arranged in casual clusters. The room was lit by sconces set periodically along the wall, and off to the side Alphonse could see a couple closed doors that presumably lead off into storerooms or the like. There was an assortment of people sitting or standing around the room, many of whom were sporting tattoos or scars of some sort. 

It didn’t take long for the alchemist to spot Greed lounging on one of the leather couches, his pointed boots kicked up on top of a low table. Alphonse had clearly caught some of the patron’s attention when he’d walked in, and it only took a moment before Greed noticed the short-haired alchemist as well. The leather-clad man perked up when he saw Al, grinning wide and swinging his feet off the table, raising a hand in a quick, jaunty wave as he sauntered over.

“Yo, Alphonse! Glad you could make it!” The taller man slung a muscular arm around Al’s shoulder, guiding him towards the bar, and Alphonse noticed most of the patrons avert their dubious gazes in that moment. It seemed that Greed was making a show of the fact that Al was here under his invitation, and Al wasn’t sure whether the other man was claiming him or protecting him, but the patrons of the bar did stop side-eying the alchemist, at least.

“What’ll ya’ have?” The barkeep asked as they got close, a burly man with an impressive beard and a bandana tied around his head.

“Ah, just a beer, please,” Alphonse replied politely. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but one beer should be alright. It was a bar, after all, and Al wasn’t sure it was the type of establishment to have very many non-alcoholic options. The alchemist dug in his pocket to pull out his wallet, but before he could retrieve it, Greed lazily flapped his free hand in the air to stop him, his other arm still wrapped around Al’s shoulders.

“It’s on the house,” Greed stated plainly.

Alphonse cocked an eyebrow at this, looking over at the slightly taller man curiously. “That’s rather generous for a guy named ‘Greed’,” he couldn’t help pointing out.

“Take it or leave it,” Greed shrugged before unwinding his arm from Al’s shoulder to grab a glass that the barkeep presented, one filled with a dark brown liquor, and pulled away from the bar. Alphonse hastily grabbed his beer with a quick smile and ‘thanks’ to the bartender, before moving to catch up with Greed, who was already making his way towards a different leather couch, this one tucked into the corner of the room.

The leather-clad man dropped heavily onto the couch, patting the seat beside him, motioning for Alphonse to join him. The alchemist did so after a moment, sitting down a respectable distance away, while still close enough to easily converse. The couch was surprisingly comfortable in a well-worn way, and Alphonse took another glance around the room before returning his gaze to Greed, who was watching the alchemist with a slight grin.

“Soooo, Alphonse,” Greed began, waving a hand at him again—the man seemed to have a tendency to talk with his hands—and Al’s eyes caught on the strange tattoo on the back of the man’s hand. There was a vague familiarity to it, but Al couldn’t seem to place it. “Tell me about yourself.”

Alphonse just snorted, looking up to meet Greed’s gaze again, and cocked an eyebrow at the other man. “That’s your conversation starter? Not a lot to go on,” Al replied, and couldn’t resist a cheeky grin at the other man.

Greed mock-sighed, taking a moment to cross his legs, before returning his steady gaze to the alchemist, still wearing the purple-tinted circular sunglasses that Al had seen him in the previous times they’d met. “Alright,” Greed said with a grin, and Al caught a flash of pointed teeth, “Then how about—why’re you passing through a dangerous part of town all the time, anyway?”

Al took a moment to sip his beer and brush his bangs out of his face before replying. “The rent’s cheap nearby, and it’s the most direct route between my apartment and work.” He responded simply with a shrug.

“Oh? And where do you work?” Greed asked, leaning forward curiously.

“A repair shop up the street a ways. We use alchemy to repair items people bring in, or antiques and trinkets that we come across, and then sell them. I like being able to use alchemy in my job, especially the precise detail work that I don’t always have reason to do otherwise.” Al answered with a smile, eyes bright as he thought about some of the things he’d been able to make at work. “It’s still just a part-time job, really, but I like it well enough for now.”

“How long have you been an alchemist?” Greed prompted, gesturing at Al with the hand that was still holding his drink, a finger pulled away from the glass to point towards him.

“Since I was a little kid,” Al replied with a smile, “My older brother and I learned by reading our dad’s alchemy books. Ed still lives in Resembool with Winry, his girlfriend. It’s the town where we grew up.”

Greed sipped his drink as he listened to Alphonse talk, and when the alchemist paused, he interjected, “So why’d you move out here?”

“Well, we always wanted to travel. I figured I’d start small—I’m already familiar with Dublith since it’s where our Teacher lives. I still plan to travel farther, though! To places I’ve only ever read about,” Al continued, eyes bright with eagerness at the prospect of seeing the world.

“What about you?” Alphonse asked, while subtly trying to get a peek at Greed’s eyes behind the tinted glasses, “Have you always lived in Dublith?”

Greed let out a bark of a laugh before explaining, “Nah. I moved out here years ago—to get away from my family, actually. Father didn’t exactly approve of my aspirations, despite the fact that he’s the one who made me this way.” The topic seemed to draw Greed off into thought for a minute, staring into nothing as he flexed and unflexed his tattooed hand.

“But!,” Greed began, snapping out of it just as suddenly, lifting his gaze to meet Al’s again, “I’ve made a lucrative start here for myself,” he remarked, spreading his hands wide, gesturing to their surroundings. Then, with a wide, toothy grin, concluded, “And I’m not done yet.”

They continued talking like that later into the night, slowly draining their respective drinks while swapping stories. It was mostly small talk from that point on, but Greed always seemed invested in what Al was saying, no matter the topic—Alchemy, food, etcetera—and it was rewarding to feel like Greed was genuinely invested in what he had to say. The strange man certainly had some interesting stories and thoughts as well, a whole slew of things Al had never experienced. It made for intriguing conversation, and the night passed by quicker than he realized.

Al had set his empty bottle on the table and pulled a leg up onto the couch earlier in the night, leaning back and sitting half-cross legged, getting comfortable on the leather couch next to Greed. He’d been sitting still for a long time, and eventually pulled his arms up above his head in a stretch, feeling a slight pop in his back as he did so. He couldn’t stifle the yawn that arose, and brought a hand back down to cover his mouth, blinking away the tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes. 

Alphonse looked back at Greed just in time to see a strange expression pass across the man’s face, one that Al couldn’t quite decipher, the other man’s lips quirked up in a surprisingly soft smile. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, though, Greed’s typical toothy grin sliding back into place instead. “Am I keeping you up?”

“Sorry,” Al replied with a sheepish smile, “I’m not used to staying out this late.” He would sometimes stay awake late into the night to study alchemy and practice transmutation circles, but socializing all night was a different kind of tiring.

Greed just waved a hand at him, unconcerned. “Head home, sleeping beauty. I won’t keep you out all night.” The other man declared, his lips still quirked up in a smile.

Alphonse paused at the nickname, but mentally shrugged it off after a moment—Greed probably didn’t mean anything by it, likely just another strange habit of the man’s. 

“Thanks,” Al said with a soft smile, unfolding his crossed leg to plant it on the floor again, pushing himself up off the couch. Al turned to say goodbye then, only to see Greed standing up as well and beckoning the alchemist towards the door.

“Y’know, you don’t have to walk me out.” Al said quietly, leaning in close so that only Greed could hear him, “Unless you’re worried I’ll get in another fight?” The alchemist asked, grinning cheekily.

“Ha!,” Greed barked out a laugh, “Nah, I’m the leader around here, and they all know you’re welcome here now.” Greed grinned and gave him a pointed look out the side of his glasses, and Al could have sworn he caught a glimpse of purple irises, “Anytime.”

They ascended the stairs into the open air together, and as they emerged, Alphonse looked up to see stars sparkling across the night sky. It wasn’t quite the endless expanse you could see out in the countryside, but the glimpse between buildings was still captivating. Al drew a deep breath of the fresh, cool night air, and after savouring the view for one more moment, slid his gaze back over to the man standing beside him. The alchemist almost thought he caught a glimpse of that strange, soft expression again, but when his eyes met the other man’s, Al found only that typical smirk.

“Thanks for the evening,” Al said after a beat, voice warm and sincere, “It was really nice.”

“Same to you,” Greed replied with a grin, looking down into Al’s eyes, although the leather-clad man was really only a few inches taller than him.

A beat passed like that, and then another, and Alphonse recognized the sensation of holding his breath, although he hadn’t realized he’d started. But Greed didn’t move, just kept staring down at the alchemist warmly, and after another moment, Al had to convince himself to break the strange tension that was building.

The golden-haired alchemist raised his hand in a quick, jaunty wave and took a step back, away from the other man. “See you around, Greed,” He declared, still smiling, and spun quickly on his heel before he allowed himself be drawn back in again.

“See ya, Al,” Greed replied with a slight chuckle, and as Alphonse walked away, he could hear the clack of Greed’s boots echoing as the other man descended back into the Devil’s Nest.

Al took a shaky, steadying breath, his heart thrumming in his chest. He wasn’t sure what had caused the sudden escalation in mood, but before he could put too much thought into it, Al swallowed the feeling down and refocused his eyes on the road ahead of him. He had work tomorrow, after all.

But even so, he couldn’t do away with the ghost of that sensation as he laid down that night. The memory of standing under the stars with Greed, the other man close enough to touch, his own heart thrumming in his chest, was an insistent press at the back of his mind as he fell asleep.


	2. Attraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick sidenote, if you've never read OG Greed's arc in the manga, you really should! There's some Quality Greed Content they left out of Brotherhood, and those scenes are where I draw a lot of his personality from in this fic.

Over the course of the next week, they developed a bit of a routine. Al would walk by the Devil’s Nest on his way to work, only to find Greed standing outside most days. The alchemist always smiled at the other man and stopped to chat for a few minutes, or as long as he could spare before his shift. And in the evenings when he was free, Al fell into the habit of stopping by after work for a drink (often just water—Al would have preferred milk, but it wasn’t something the Devil’s Nest typically stocked), and would sit next to the other man on that leather couch, and simply talk until the alchemist inevitably had to go home.

Most mornings, Alphonse just ate breakfast at his flat before he left. The other day, however, he’d discovered a charming little bakery that he was dying to try, so today he left home early and stopped by to pick up a few pastries before heading to work.

Despite the detour, Al still took his usual route to work. Sure enough, as he approached the Devil’s Nest, Alphonse spotted a familiar leather-clad figure leaning against the wall. With a smile, Al fished a hand into the bag of pastries as he walked. 

But even as he neared the other man, it appeared that Greed hadn’t actually noticed him yet, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, as Alphonse pulled a pastry out of the bag and presented it in front of the other man’s face, Greed jolted into awareness, looking first at the sweet, and the down his arm to the alchemist holding it.

“What’s this?” Greed asked, quirking an eyebrow at Alphonse.

“An apple turnover. It’s fresh, so you should eat it.” Al replied simply.

Greed kept his curious look, but reached a hand up to take the turnover. He seemed to inspect it for a moment, and then, after some consideration, raised his other hand and pushed his tinted sunglasses up on top of his head, getting a better look at the pastry.

Al couldn’t stop the soft gasp that escaped him. It was the first time he’d properly seen the other man’s eyes, and not only were his irises a distinct purple—as Al had suspected—but only thin slits formed his pupils. He’d seen some interesting looking folks at the Devil’s Nest over the past couple weeks, and Greed’s pointed teeth were certainly unique, but this new revelation only sparked his curiosity about the strange man even more.

Greed didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, didn’t pay Alphonse’s surprise any mind. He simply took a bite of the pastry, and Al shifted the paper bag awkwardly in his grasp as he waited for Greed’s reaction. A beat passed, and Greed looked up to meet the alchemist’s gaze, for the first time without any barrier between them.

“It’s good. Thanks,” Greed replied, and he smiled down at Alphonse with a warmth that, in the clear light of day, sent Alphonse’s heart suddenly racing. The combination was too much, and Alphonse quickly broke his gaze away from the other man’s, hoping that the heat he felt rising to his cheeks wasn’t actually visible. 

“I-it’s nothing,” Alphonse stammered out, before flicking his gaze back to meet Greed’s, unable to resist for long. A man with such an over-the-top fashion sense and intimidating presence really shouldn’t be able to look so affectionate, Al argued. 

“I have to get to work,” The alchemist blurted out before he could let himself get drawn in for too long, “But I’ll see you later.”

Greed didn’t say anything, just grinned and waved with the hand still holding the apple turnover, and Al turned on his heel and walked forward. He didn’t turn around to look at Greed as he walked away, but the alchemist could have sworn he still felt that warm gaze on his back as he left. Al pressed his eyes tightly closed and willed his pulse to slow down, but even when he opened his eyes again all he could picture was Greed’s warm smile and his vibrant purple eyes shining in the sunlight.

Man, what was _up_ with Alphonse? Sure, Greed was attractive— muscular, and surprisingly kind on top of that—but he could barely get the other man out of his head! Al hadn’t exactly been planning on getting into a relationship, and this was getting out of hand. The alchemist gave his head a strong shake as he walked. _What am I going to do?_ He thought with a sigh.

\---

Alphonse had decided.

If he couldn’t stop thinking about Greed anyways, then he might as well go all in—bite the bullet and go for it. There really wasn’t any reason not to, anyhow. He enjoyed spending time with the other man, and even though Greed was definitely strange—the pointed teeth, the slit pupils—he was kind to Alphonse, and to his subordinates and the patrons of his bar as well. For a guy who went by the name ‘Greed,’ he really was considerate and caring, more so than a lot of people out there. Greed cared for his people, more than Alphonse thought the man would probably admit.

And Alphonse was an adult, he could handle a relationship. Hell, if Big Brother and Winry managed it, Al was confident that someone more level-headed (like himself) could certainly do so.

Of course, there was still one problem. 

Did Greed even feel the same way about him? There were times when it was just the two of them, and they got lost in a moment, that made Alphonse think he might. But Greed was also just a tactile person, and Alphonse supposed he couldn’t really be sure unless he _asked_. The alchemist ran a heavy hand through his short hair, leaning back further on the plush chair in his flat. And if Greed rejected him? Boy, wouldn’t _that_ be embarrassing and awkward. 

Or maybe Greed was the sort of guy who only wanted something casual, not a dedicated boyfriend. And boy did _that_ word send his heart racing! Greed, his _boyfriend_. Alphonse dragged his hands down his face with a groan. 

He was already in way too deep.

This was all just a lot of ‘maybes’ and ‘what-ifs’, and Al wouldn’t know anything until he talked to Greed.

For now, all he could do was work up the nerve to ask the other man. Tonight, he reckoned. He couldn’t stand waiting and letting his mind run away from him for much longer, and he was planning on visiting the Devil’s Nest that evening anyways. It was his day off, after all.

\---

That evening went the same as most evenings that Alphonse spent at the Devil’s Nest. He and Greed lounged on one of the leather couches, drank (Alphonse had gotten a beer tonight, an uncommon occurrence), and talked.

There were a couple of differences, however. There were a few instances, when they lapsed into a comfortable silence, that Alphonse would clench his hands, just slightly, and his brow would furrow, as though he was working up the nerve to say something. Each time, Greed waited patiently, letting the other man go at his own pace, only for Alphonse to suddenly blurt out something completely ordinary and inconsequential. Greed couldn’t help but raise a curious eyebrow the more times it happened, but didn’t push Al to talk. It’s not like he’d revealed any of his secrets to the alchemist, after all, so it was only fair that he didn’t press for any in return.

Although, the move with his glasses the other day had been a step in that direction. It was something he’d been thinking about for a while, after all, and when Al presented him with the fresh pastry, it felt like the right thing to do in return. Alchemists loved that equivalent exchange stuff after all, didn’t they?

In fact, since that point, Greed had kept his glasses off. He enjoyed being able to look clearly into the alchemist’s golden eyes, and the reaction that he’d initially gotten to the reveal had been reassuring as well—surprised, but not fearful—more fascination than suspicion. And though he almost didn’t dare to let himself consider the possibility, Greed thought he’d seen the other man blush in response. 

Between that and Alphonse’s behaviour tonight, Greed was definitely curious about what was going through the alchemist’s mind.

However, by the time they’d finished their drinks and it was reaching the time that Alphonse usually retired for the night, the alchemist had still yet to say whatever had been on his mind all evening. Greed considered pushing the matter—Alphonse was strong-willed enough to push back if he crossed a personal boundary—but as he walked the alchemist to the door, Greed was still weighing the matter in his mind.

Alphonse was tense as they ascended the stairs together, Greed watching his hunched shoulders from behind. As they stepped out into the fresh night air, the homunculus glanced up at the sky—it was cloudy tonight, but there were still pockets of stars peeking through. As he brought his gaze back down to the man beside him, it was to find Al’s eyes once again steeled in determination.

“Y’know,” the alchemist began shakily, like he’d been holding his breath, “You should take me on an actual date one of these nights. Not just to the bar you own.” His golden gaze flicked away nervously, then back to Greed, and his face was definitely flushed, visible even in the dark. “I-if you’re interested, that is.”

Greed’s mind blanked, failing to come up with a single reply. _This_ wasn’t what he’d been expecting—hoping for in the back of his mind, sure—but he hadn’t dared to prepare his response, to let himself _want_ this.

Too much time passed as Greed struggled to form a reply, and Alphonse’s shoulders dropped in the silence, his nervous smile twisting into a forced grin. “Right,” the alchemist breathed, barely above a whisper, but as he inhaled and opened his mouth to speak again, Greed finally got his voice back under control and interjected.

“ _Hell_ yes,” the homunculus blurted out, and those golden eyes shot up at him in surprise, “I didn’t, um…” he struggled to continue. “Shit,” he whispered under his breath, could he be any less cool? Instead, he took a deep breath, steadying his own resolve, and continued, “I am _absolutely_ interested, I just didn’t realize you were.” Greed brought a hand up to awkwardly scratch at the back of his neck, and resisted the urge to stare off to the side.

“Oh,” Alphonse breathed out, face still flushed, and proceeded to let out a small laugh, the tension draining from his body. “Well, now that we’re on the same page…”

Greed grinned down at the alchemist, his pulse speeding up as the situation finally started sinking in. “How’s tomorrow?” The homunculus paused, considering, “Too soon?”

“No,” Alphonse breathed, golden eyes bright with excitement, “Tomorrow’s perfect.”

They said a short farewell, planning to meet back here tomorrow evening, before parting ways for the night. As he watched the golden-haired alchemist leave to return home, Greed couldn’t help the flood of thoughts that came rushing to mind. The dam had been broken open now, after all.

His heart raced just at the thought of Alphonse. The alchemist _wanted_ him, wanted to be with him in a way Greed hadn’t let himself seriously consider. He was quite greedy, after all. And if Alphonse didn’t feel the same way—well, Greed hated wanting something he could never have. But he would _never_ do anything to Alphonse—or to anyone, for that matter—that the other man didn’t want. It was his policy not to lie, and _certainly_ not to take advantage of people.

But now that he knew Alphonse _did_ want him, well… Alphonse could be damn cute—there were a few times when Greed couldn’t help but stare fondly at the alchemist during their time together. But he also most definitely hadn’t forgotten how Alphonse could flip a man twice his size onto the ground like it was nothing. _Damn_ if that memory didn’t still stand out in his mind.

The homunculus ran a hand through his hair, heart still beating fast in his chest. A date, huh?

\---

The following evening, Al met Greed outside the Devil’s Nest. The alchemist had decided to dress up a little bit, going home after finishing work that day and washing up before getting changed into a suit vest and tie. It really wasn’t all the different from what he usually wore, but the alchemist approached with a smile and a wave, he noticed Greed’s eyes rake over the outfit, and the other man let out a low, impressed whistle. Al smacked the other man over the head when he got close, but couldn’t help the flush that had risen over his face, embarrassedly averting his gaze.

Greed just barked out a laugh, and when Alphonse looked up again, the other man was grinning at him, eyes sparkling with humour. 

“No hesitation, I like it,” Greed stated with that signature grin.

Alphonse just grinned back, blush still fading from his cheeks, and motioned for the taller man to lead the way.

Greed led him to a restaurant nearby, still in the shady part of town, but a step up from the atmosphere of the Devil’s Nest. It wasn’t so fancy that it was stuffy—simply a place with nicer furnishings and good food. Honestly, the evening passed much like the rest of the evenings they spent together, falling back into the comfortable flow of conversation they had gotten used to. However, Al couldn’t help but steal a few more glances than usual, his gaze catching on the other man’s lips or throat a couple of times throughout the night.

Dinner passed by quickly, and after splitting the bill, they stepped out into the fresh night air together. There was a strong sense of familiarity, like the end of most nights they spent together—but this time it wasn’t over quite yet. Al glanced up out of habit, and it was easy to get caught up looking at the sky, that bright expanse of stars that reminded him so often of the view from Resembool. But as his eyes fell back to the moonlit streets, the alchemist turned to find Greed watching him, that rare fond smile pulling at his lips. The way the moonlight lit up those purple eyes transfixed Al, and not for the first time, the alchemist found himself frozen in the moment, breath caught in his throat. 

He waited for the other man to move, but a moment passed, and then another, and still neither of them moved. He’d thought that Greed was going to…

Al’s gaze flicked down to Greed’s lips, and then hastily away, finally breaking the moment and drawing in a low breath. Before the alchemist could say anything, however, he felt an arm slung around his shoulder, pulling him over to Greed’s side as the other man kept smiling down at him. Alphonse just smiled back, pulse still racing in his throat, before looping his own arm around Greed’ waist, as the other man started leading them away from the restaurant.

The arm around his shoulders was solid with muscle, but it wasn’t demanding, and Al knew he could easily shrug it off if he wanted to. But the weight of it was… nice, and Greed’s warm presence at his side made it all the more so. Al could also feel the hard muscle of Greed’s side under his own hand, and had to stop his mind from wandering off too far with that thought.

They picked up their casual conversation again as they walked through the streets. Greed still talked with his hands just as much, despite the arm looped around Alphonse’s shoulder, and Al couldn’t keep a smile of his face at Greed’s expressive story-telling. They stayed like that for a while, just strolling through the moonlit streets at each other’s side. But at one point, as they passed by a darkened alley, Alphonse could have sworn he heard…

The alchemist stilled, sliding out from underneath Greed’s arm, who in turn stopped talking and looked over at him curiously. 

Cautiously, Alphonse approached the alley, eyes searching the darkened space, senses on high alert, before crouching low to the ground, where…

“A cat?” Greed remarked, leaning forward over the alchemist’s shoulder to peer at the white and orange feline just out of the alchemist’s reach.

Alphonse cooed softly at the cat, extending a gentle hand towards it. Slowly, carefully, the cat approached, mewling quietly. Before long, Al managed to carefully scoop the cat up into his arms, petting it gently.

“You never told me you like cats,” Greed said, pointing a finger at the alchemist.

“Wha- really?” Alphonse exclaimed, looking up at the other man in surprise. “I love them—I thought I would have mentioned that.” He said with a gentle shake of his head, golden bangs falling slightly into his face. 

Greed snorted, before stating with a toothy grin, “Too bad it’s not dogs, you and Dolcetto would get along great.” 

Al had to think for a moment, turning to face Greed fully as he stood up again, gently cradling the cat in his arms. “Dolcetto… he’s the one with the sword, right?” He asked, thinking of the man with the slicked back hair and the gi that he’d seen in the Devil’s Nest most nights.

“That’s the one,” Greed said with a laugh, only to pause. The other man went uncharacteristically quiet, putting a hand to his chin in thought, before distractedly concluding, “I suppose it’s about time I properly introduce you to the crew.”

With the way Greed said it, it seemed like something more than just shaking hands and exchanging names, but Al couldn’t think of what else the other man could possibly mean. Before he could think about it too long, though, the cat in his arms meowed again sadly, and Al refocused himself on the situation at hand.

“You’re hungry, aren’t ya, little fella?” Al said softly, smiling down at the cat, its white and spotted orange fur unkempt. “I’ll take you home and get you some food and water, how’s that sound?” The cat mewled in response, looking up at him with wide yellow eyes.

When Al looked back over at his companion, uncertain if Greed would mind the detour, the leather-clad man just waved an arm in front of him with a grin, “Lead the way.”

It wasn’t a long walk to Al’s flat from where they’d found the cat. The front of the house was a bit plain and dingy, and it was a small place, but the rent was cheap, and Al did what he could to keep it looking nice. The alchemist carefully readjusted his grip, gently cradling the cat with one arm as he fished in his pocket for his keys. After a moment, he slid the key into the lock, pushing the door open as he looked back at Greed with a slightly nervous smile. The other man was busy taking in the place with interest, but looked over as the golden-haired alchemist spoke up.

“I guess you haven’t actually seen my place before, huh? Why don’t you come in while I get this little guy fed?” Alphonse asked, although the thought of Greed in Al’s own, simple abode gave a bit of a nervous twist to his stomach.

Greed just shrugged and followed Alphonse in with a grin, closing the door behind them as Alphonse crouched down to set the cat carefully on the ground. “Now don’t wander off too far, alright?” He told the cat gently, smiling down at it.

Alphonse stood up again, turning to face Greed with a sheepish grin, raising a hand to rub nervously at the back on his neck. “Sorry it’s not the neatest at the moment, but make yourself at home.”

With that, Al made his way into the kitchen, pulling open the cupboard where he stored a bag of cat food for exactly this situation. As he grabbed a couple of bowls, first filling one with water, and then the other with cat food, he could hear Greed making his way around the living room across from him. Alphonse had left some of his books and practice drawings of various transmutation circles scattered across the coffee table, and even more of the same on top of his actual desk at the back of the room. The bookshelf on the far wall was half-filled with books as well, most of which he’d only picked up since moving to Dublith. 

At the smell of food, the nervous cat was carefully working its way into the kitchen, and Alphonse smiled at it once more as he lowered the bowls to the ground, watching as the cat took a few cautious sniffs, before beginning to hungrily eat.

With the cat tended to for the time being, Alphonse stood up again, making his way over to check on his other guest. It seemed that Greed had taken his welcome to heart, as the other man had perched himself on the edge of the couch and was sifting through the scattered papers and books Al had left on the coffee table.

“You’re really good at this, huh?” Greed asked, sharp eyes trained on the book he was flipping through, “This is some high-level stuff.”

“Thanks,” Al said with a smile, walking over to sit down beside the other man. “But you need to be a State Alchemist to get the _really_ good stuff.” He continued with a shrug, “I still like to learn everything I can, though.”

Greed just hummed in response, still flipping through the book with interest, and Al glanced back over to the kitchen, where he could see the cat eagerly drinking water now.

“Oh!” Alphonse exclaimed suddenly, hitting his fist against his open palm in realization. It seemed that telling Greed about his love for cats wasn’t the only thing he’d forgotten. “I’ve never properly shown you my alchemy, have I?” Al prompted, looking over at Greed. 

Greed looked up at him in surprise, eyes bright with curiosity as his lips stretched into a wide grin, sharp teeth flashing. “No, you haven’t,” he replied, an almost sing-song tone to his voice.

With that, Alphonse deliberated for a moment, wondering what he should transmute. He glanced over at Greed, taking in the man’s over-the-top clothing (that Al had to admit he’d grown rather fond of), before falling to his hand with the strange tattoo. An idea in mind, Al pushed up off the couch, making his way over to his work desk where he grabbed a blank sheet of paper and a pencil, before opening the chest of alchemical materials stored next to it. He pulled out a small chunk of metal as well, and with all his materials in hand, returned to his seat next to Greed.

Shuffling the stray papers to the side, Alphonse cleared an open space on the coffee table, laying the blank sheet of paper out and beginning to draw a transmutation circle across its surface. It didn’t take long for Alphonse to complete the transmutation circle, easily drawing the necessary shape from memory, before finally placing the small chunk of silver-coloured metal in the centre. He glanced over at Greed with a smile, and found the other man watching intently.

Finally, Alphonse planted one hand on either side, and activated the transmutation circle. He’d planned the desired shape in his head beforehand, and went over it in his mind now, shaping the metal according to that mental image.

When the flashing of the alchemical reaction stopped, what was left in the centre of the transmutation was still metal, but it had been fashioned into an intricate ring. The metal twisted and curved, extended out and folded over at the top to form a pair of small, metallic wings, the opposite ends of the ring twisting to meet at one side, where the tiny dragon’s tail met its intricate head.

Alphonse glanced over at his companion as he heard clapping start up beside him, and couldn’t help but smile at the impressed expression on Greed’s face. After a moment, the alchemist picked the ring up, metal still slightly warm to the touch, and presented it to Greed with a smile.

Greed glanced up at him in surprise, before taking the offered ring and bringing it up to his violet eyes to have a closer look. Al was pretty proud of the detail work, if he did say so himself. It had always been his specialty in alchemy, and the delicate folds in the wings, the tiny teeth poking out of the Ouroboros’ mouth, and the way he’d blended the traces of alchemy to resemble scales, were all a fine example of that. As Greed continued to carefully inspect the ring, the alchemist spoke up.

“It’s yours, if you want it.” Alphonse said with a soft smile, brushing his golden bangs to the side. “I think the size should be okay, but I can adjust it if not.”

Greed didn’t take his eyes off the ring, just twisted it once more in his grasp, before carefully sliding it onto the middle finger of his right hand. He flexed his hand, testing the fit, and nodded agreeably to himself. He held out his hand for one final look, before finally raising his gaze to meet Alphonse’s own. 

Al’s breath caught in his throat at the expression on Greed’s face. He’d seen a handful of Greed’s rare soft smiles before, but this… Greed’s lips were stretched in a warm, gentle smile, purple eyes shining with warmth as he looked at the alchemist with surprising tenderness. “It’s perfect.” Greed declared, voice low, radiating that same soft warmth.

For the second time that night, Al felt himself drawn to the other man. Before, standing outside that restaurant in the cool night air, Greed standing in front of him, so close… Al had thought the taller man was going to lean forward and kiss him. 

But just like before, Greed held perfectly still now, gaze warm and inviting, but making no move to initiate. And if Greed wasn’t going to, then maybe he was waiting for Alphonse, letting the alchemist set the pace. And, well, if that was the case… then Al had been waiting long enough.

Steeling his nerves, Alphonse leaned forward, not letting himself hesitate, wrapping a hand around the back of the other man’s neck, feeling Greed’s pulse beating steadily in his throat. He gave Greed a second, an opportunity to lean away, and when the other man finally, _finally_ , leaned closer, Alphonse closed the gap, firmly pressing his lips against Greed’s.

Al was sure he felt the quirk of the other man’s lips pulling up in a grin as Greed leaned into the kiss, pressing back with a force and hunger that he’d barely let Al catches glimpses of up until now. 

_Hell_ , he’d wanted this for so long. Ever since that first evening he’d spent at the Devil’s Nest, standing with Greed under the stars. And _damn_ if it wasn’t everything Al hoped it would be.

The press of Greed’s mouth against his was strong, and as he wound a hand up around the back of Al’s neck in return, the alchemist could feel the solid press of the ring as well, as he pulled the alchemist ever closer. Greed other’s hand trailed up the side of his neck, and when Greed slid his tongue hungrily across the alchemist’s lips, Al knew Greed could feel the jump in his pulse and the resulting shiver of pleasure that raced through his body. Alphonse eagerly accepted, and felt the sharp pressure of Greed’s teeth along his tongue and lips as they deepened the kiss, though the other man was careful not to push too hard and cut him. Alphonse wrapped his free arm around Greed’s back, pulling the other man closer until their chests were flush together, Al pinned solidly back against the couch. After what felt simultaneously like forever and not long enough, Alphonse had to pull back for air, but kept his grip tight around the back of other man’s neck, stopping Greed from leaning away, savouring the press of the other man against him.

Greed’s face was flushed, his lips red from the kiss, and eyes dark with hunger. It was an all-new sight, and Al had to bite his lip to stifle the moan of desire that threatened to spill from his mouth, although he was fairly certain Greed still felt the rumbling beginnings of it in his chest.

As Alphonse struggled to regain his breath, Greed didn’t let up, sliding his hand out of the way in order to kiss at Al’s neck, and the alchemist could feel the sharp pressure of Greed’s teeth where he sucked a mark just below the collar of Al’s shirt. But Greed didn’t move any farther south, and Al didn’t push him away, allowing himself to simply enjoy Greed’s ministrations as he gathered his breath again.

After Greed seemed content with the mark he’d left there, he pulled back again, looking at Al’s flushed face and pleased smile with clear satisfaction.

“Shit,” was all Alphonse could say, under his still-stuttering breath.

“Go ahead, then,” Greed said with a smug smile, humour in his voice, “Tell me how amazing I am.”

Al couldn’t help but laugh, grinning up at Greed, who was still pressing him into the back of the couch, albeit more gently now.

“I know, I know,” Greed continued playfully, “Best you’ve ever had? Yeah, sounds about right.”

Alphonse just shook his head, grinning wide at the other man’s antics, before pushing up again, shutting him up with a kiss. It was just a quick press of the lips, firm but gentle, and Greed leaned into it for a few seconds as well before pulling back.

The fond look in his eyes still sent Alphonse’s heart pounding, but the alchemist regretfully unwound his arms from around the other man, pushing off of the back of the couch as Greed leaned back to oblige him.

An unspoken agreement ran through the air to not to get too carried away, one that Al felt coming from Greed as well, and the taller man pulled away with a contended sigh.

“I’ll let you get some rest, hm?” Greed said, his voice still a low rumble.

Al just nodded with a smile, and Greed stood before offering a hand, which Alphonse happily took. Greed pulled him up off the couch and, to Al’s surprise, didn’t pull his hand away as they walked the short distance to the door together. But as Al reached for the handle, Greed suddenly spoke up, and the alchemist stopped short, looking back over to meet the other man’s fond gaze.  
“On your next day off,” Greed began, “You should come meet everyone. It’s about time we did proper introductions.” Greed said with a smile, arm raised to scratch sheepishly at the back of his neck, and Al thought there was something almost tense and nervous in the other man’s eyes.

But he didn’t comment on it, instead just smiling warmly at Greed in return, and tightened his grip where their fingers were still intertwined, squeezing the other man’s hand.

“Sounds like a date,” the alchemist agreed easily.


	3. Honesty

Today was the day.

Greed had held a nervous air about him since he’d gotten up that morning, waiting around inside the Devil’s Nest.

He’d asked Dolcetto to keep watch, so he’d have a bit of warning before Alphonse actually showed. But even so, Greed was more worried than he’d been in some time.

And, overall, he still wasn’t _that_ nervous, but any amount of nervous was more than Greed had gotten used to. So he swallowed it down, and lounged on one of the various leather couches as he waited for Dolcetto’s signal.

It was mid-morning when Dolcetto trotted down the stairs, letting Greed know that the alchemist was about to arrive, before quietly slipping through another door off to the side of the room. Greed took a deep breath, swung his legs off the couch, and willed his signature grin to stretch across his face. 

Thirty more seconds passed before Alphonse emerged from the stairway, taking no time to spot the homunculus in his signature spot. But before Al could make his way over, Greed stood up to greet him, and waved him over to the same door that Dorchette had passed through.

The short-haired alchemist blinked in surprise, but followed without protest. The door opened into a long corridor, and the homunculus glanced back to see Alphonse looking around with interest at all the various branching paths.

“I didn’t know there was so much more to this place,” Alphonse expressed with interest, keen golden eyes taking in the new surroundings.

“It’s good to have multiple escape routes prepared, in case we ever need ‘em,” Greed said simply with a shrug.

Al didn’t comment, but did glance over at him with a puzzled look, as though wondering what situation could possibly necessitate such a disorienting escape route for the patrons of the Devil’s Nest.

It wasn’t much longer before they got to where they were going, however, and Greed stopped with a flourish, gesturing to the door at his side. “Here we are,” he said with a grin, and pushed the heavy metal door open.

\--

As Alphonse followed Greed inside, he discovered that the doorway opened up into a mostly empty room, storing only a few boxes, old liquor bottles, and broken pipes. There were also a few figures already inside, and Al took a moment to take it all in.

The man in the gi, Dolcetto, was perched on top of one of the storage boxes, sheathed sword lying at his side. On the adjoining wall, a woman with short blond hair was in a similar position, sitting on a crate with one knee pulled up to her chest, the other hanging off the side of the box. Martel, if Al recalled correctly, who also seemed to be carrying a weapon, a dagger sheathed in a holster at her shoulder. Further to the right, there was a man that towered over all the other occupants of the room. He stood next to the wall, his large war hammer propped up on the floor, hands folded over the handle. Al recalled seeing the mammoth of a man before, as well—Roa, he believed.

It was a bit of an intimidating scene, Al had to admit, and he looked back over at Greed, searching the other man’s expression intently. But Greed was acting like his usual self, shoulders relaxed, grinning back at Al with an easy smile. Al trusted him, and after he finished surveying the other man’s expression and stance, he convinced himself to shrug the worry off, and turned back to the other occupants with a smile and a wave.

“Hey,” the golden-haired alchemist began, voice warm and friendly, eyes bright, “I’m Alphonse Elric. Greed said I’d be seeing you all today, it’s nice to properly meet you.”

There was a smattering of greetings, including a quiet ‘yo,’ and wave from Dolcetto.

“Why don’t you have a seat, Al?” Greed said warmly, gesturing to the room, “Pull up a crate.”

Alphonse was still unsure about what, exactly, was happening, but he did as Greed suggested anyway, sitting on an empty box between Dolcetto and Martel.

“Bit of a weird setup, I know,” Dolcetto leaned over to say with a grin, “But it’s easier to do this kinda thing without a bunch of people around.”

“Greed thinks we’ve left you in the dark long enough, so we’ll skip straight to the point,” Martel said from his other side, and Al turned to look at her instead, curious. As soon as his eyes feel on her and it was clear he was listening, she continued, tone matter-of-fact, “We’re chimeras.”

That… was not what Al was expecting. Not that he was really sure _what_ to expect, but still. His mind blanked for a second, before he got it back under control. “That’s… not possible!” Al said with a confused frown, “Experiments like that have never succeeded, they can’t.”

“How rude!” Martel exclaimed, cocking a brow at Alphonse, although there wasn’t any real venom to her voice, just bold certainty, “I’m a success, right here!”

Alphonse, still not quite believing what he was hearing, looked around the room. But everyone’s expressions were serious, not even the hint of a joke. “How?” Al asked in disbelief.

It was Martel who explained, and Al turned to look back at her as she continued talking. “I used to be in the military. I was seriously injured in the southern border battle, blown half to hell by a landmine. I was already near-dead when they transported me to the military’s research labs, only to experiment on me.” She paused for a moment, looking away, “From that… I got this body, merged with that of a snake.”

A moment passed in silence as Alphonse took in the information presented to him. The military? It did have the highest concentration of expert-level alchemists in the country, but to do such a thing…

“That’s cruel!” Alphonse exclaimed, struck with anger and sadness. “For the military to do such an experiment, and for you to be stuck with that body… that’s too cruel!”

But Martel just chuckled before leaning her head back with a strained smile, “It really was quite an inhumane experiment.” 

Dolcetto chimed in with a hum of agreement, and Alphonse turned to see the other man looking at him, “Those bastard scientists really didn’t care how we felt. They looked at us like we were just lab rats.”

Dolcetto looked away after a moment, lost in thought, “There were many ‘failed experiments’ in those labs, too. But we succeeded, so we survived. We wanted to live.” He paused again, drawing in a deep breath. “We would’ve died in these bodies if we were left there, but whoever lives… wins.” He looked back to Al once again, a somber grin on his face. “What a bizarre life, huh?”

The room went quiet again, and Alphonse once again took the chance to process the slew of information coming at him. It was all… shocking, to say the least. But he supposed if there was an opportunity to ask questions, it was now.

“Then… what are you merged with, Dolcetto?” Al inquired.

The man in question just cocked his head at the alchemist and grinned, prompting him, “Guess.”

Martel snorted, speaking up from beside Al, “Here’s a hint—he pisses with one leg up.” She said with a sly grin.

“No I don’t, you prick!” Dolcetto protested immediately, leaning forward to the edge of his crate for emphasis as he shouted back.

“Oh,” Alphonse exclaimed as something connected in his mind, despite the verbal scuffle that was occurring in the background. He looked over at Greed in surprise, who was still just surveying the scene silently. “So, when you said…”

“Eh?” Dolcetto cut in with a nervous expression, glancing quickly between Greed and Al, “What did he say?”

Greed just grinned, and motioned for Alphonse to answer, “Oh, I mean… just that, if I liked dogs, I’d get along well with you.” The alchemist answered, shooting a sheepish grin at Dolcetto. “I didn’t really get it at the time, of course.”

Dolcetto just crossed his arms with a slight huff, but after a moment of false pretense, he broke out in a grin as well, chuckling and muttering something unsavory about Greed under his breath, but there was no real anger to his voice, only exasperated fondness.

“You’re pretty positive about this,” Al couldn’t help but point out, looking at Dolcetto.

“Maybe too positive,” The chimera replied, looking back at Al with a grin, “But it’s way better than being in that shitty, boring lab.”

A beat passed, and Al glanced at the remaining two occupants. “So then, Roa, and Greed…”

“I’m combined with an ox,” Roa replied simply, voice gruff.

Alphonse nodded, and then, finally, he let his eyes fall on Greed again. Al had suspected there was something… not human about the man, so he supposed it shouldn’t be too surprising. But when Greed spoke, he didn’t give a short, simple answer like Roa had.

“You see,” Greed began, gesturing with his hands as he spoke, “People that can’t live in the normal world for various reasons are gathered here. Chimeras, of course,” Greed continued, waving his hand towards his subordinates. He then paused for a moment, fixing Al with a steady stare, “You know what a ‘homunculus’ is, right?”

Alphonse nodded, his memory easily providing the textbook answer, “An artificially created human being.”

Greed smiled, stepping closer to Alphonse and crouching down to meet his eyes, “That’s what I am.” He paused, but only for a breath, “I was built to be rather tenacious. I’ve been alive for almost 200 years, now.”

“That’s… not possible,” Alphonse stated, as much to himself as to the rest of the room. He’d thought he’d had trouble processing earlier, but this…

“I thought about telling you before,” Greed admitted, and when the alchemist raised his gaze to meet the other’s again, Greed was still looking back at him, gaze apologetic, “But it’s not exactly the sort of secret you go sharing with just anybody.”

“Still, that’s… it’s just a theory, no one’s ever created an actual homunculus.” Alphonse reasoned, brow furrowed, lips drawn in a tight frown. There was definitely something distinctly inhuman about Greed, but a homunculus? It just wasn’t possible… 

Right?

But Greed just chuckled, dipping his head, before rising to meet Al’s eyes again, gaze steady and certain.

“There’s no such thing as ‘no such thing’,” Greed said with a smile. A beat passed before he rocked back on his heels and took a couple steps back, standing up to his full height again.

“Here, I’ll show you the proof.” Without looking, Greed gestured a hand at Roa, waving him over. The hulking man gripped his huge war hammer, and his heavy steps echoed across the silent room as he walked closer. 

But then, suddenly, Greed raised a hand and Roa paused.

“Wait a sec,” Greed looked carefully down at Alphonse, mouth twisted in concern. “Have you ever seen anyone die before, Al?”

The seemingly random question gave Alphonse pause, and he frowned slightly at the memory it brought up. But after a moment, he took a breath, met Greed’s eyes again, and answered honestly.

“My mother,” Alphonse stated simply, more pained then he’d intended to let out.

There was a heavy pause in the room, and Greed turned away for a moment, grasping at the back of his neck as he turned to Roa with a grimace. “Shit,” Al heard him murmur as Greed pointed his other finger at himself uncertainly, “Did I ask something insensitive?” There was some more muttering for a moment, before Greed turned back, hand still rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know how to say this, but, uhh…” Greed grimaced again, “Sorry.”

Al just shrugged, and making sure his voice was steady this time, replied simply, “It was a long time ago.”

“Right,” Greed muttered awkwardly, seemingly more to himself than anyone else, cleared his throat and spoke up again after a moment. “I guess what I really meant, was… have you seen anyone die in battle?”

At this, Al simply shook his head, still not really understanding where Greed was going with this, but feeling a nervous pit growing and twisting inside his stomach.

Greed nodded again, still grimacing slightly, and waved Dolcetto over instead. “We’ll make this less messy, then.”

And before Alphonse could figure out what was happening, there was the soft tap of Dolcetto’s shoes on stone, the flash of cold steel, and a splatter of bright red blood. 

Alphonse’s blood ran cold, eyes widening in disbelief. 

He- he couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. He could have sworn there was a bloodied sword piercing through Greed’s neck, just above the collar of his shirt, but- but that wasn’t possible, because why would Dolcetto…

But as Alphonse tore his eyes off the cold metal, sure enough, there was Dolcetto standing just behind the other man, steady hands still gripping the hilt of his sword.

“Why?!” Alphonse choked out, shooting up off his seat, only to realize his legs had begun shaking, “Why would you do that? Weren’t you all frien—“ Alphonse flinched away as Dolcetto pulled his blade out of Greed’s neck, not a hint of emotion or regret on his face. The alchemist opened his eyes again, still cowering back slightly as Dolcetto lowered his weapon, and Greed…

Greed was still standing.

Alphonse shifted his gaze back, uncomprehending. Greed should have fallen now, but… 

Greed let out a groan, rubbing at his throat where the blade had pierced, wiping the blood away, unconcerned. 

Alphonse stared at him in disbelief, golden eyes wide, face pale. That wasn’t possible, the sword had definitely pierced right through his spinal column. Greed should be dead, but…

None of this was possible, and yet… Greed’s words rang through his mind again.

_There’s no such thing as ‘no such thing.’_

Alphonse stumbled forward, legs still shaky, lifting a hand to feel Greed’s throat himself. Shakily, he ran a thumb over the spot he’d seen the blade pierce through. 

There wasn’t even a scar.

“You’re immortal?” Alphonse asked, voice strained, looking up to meet Greed’s eyes.

“Not exactly,” Greed replied, placing a hand on Alphonse’s shoulder to steady him. “A body like this isn’t really immortal. Oh, don’t I _want_ to be immortal, though.” He said with a wide grin, eyes sharp.

“But no,” Greed continued, looking back at Alphonse again, “All I have is a much higher regeneration rate. Aside from that, my body structure and composition is the same as normal humans.” Greed paused for a moment, guiding Alphonse back to his seat, “Well, the regeneration, and also the ‘Ultimate Shield’.”

Alphonse allowed himself to be led back to his seat, honestly a bit relieved to sit back down again. He dragged a hand through his short blond hair, closing his eyes and taking a few slow, steadying breaths as he tried to get a handle on the situation again.

After a few moments, he opened his eyes, fixing Greed with his once-again steady gaze. “And this ‘Ultimate Shield,’ what is it?”

With a grin, Greed raised his tattooed left hand up to his chest, and Al watched as the skin there changed, a transmutation running up the homunculus’ forearm, his skin becoming a dark metallic grey. There was a dull shine to it, and the colour reminded Al of…

As Alphonse glanced down to Greed’s chest, to the dark grey turtleneck the other man always wore, Greed let out a sharp laugh. “You got it,” he said, and when Al glanced up at his face, Greed was grinning, pointed teeth flashing, “Doesn’t hurt to be too careful.” 

“And, because I’m trying to be open and honest with you here,” Greed added with a sigh, “I’m going to show you the full deal. Even though I don’t really want you to see it, since it takes away my handsome good looks.” The homunculus continued with a reluctant grumble.

Before Alphonse had a chance to say anything, he watched as the transformation started again, spreading up Greed’s arms and neck. It moved to cover the entirety of his head, masking his hair and ears, sharp red lines crossing over his eyes and down to his mouth. His sclera faded into black as well, framing those purple irises and slit pupils, and his pointed teeth became more prominent, standing out from his face as if it were just a skull. Alphonse couldn’t help but gape a little as he took in Greed’s form. He looked so different, and it was, admittedly, a bit monstrous. But, underneath it all, Al could tell it was still Greed, and with that thought in mind, he reassured himself, swallowing his worry.

“Ugly, I know,” Greed stated with a despondent sigh, and Al noticed his voice was rougher and more pitchy in this form, almost artificial, “But I figured since we’re, y’know,” he continued, waving a hand between himself and Al to symbolize their relationship, “That I owe it to you to be honest with you.”

After a moment, Greed let the transformation shift away, returning to his normal appearance, and raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck with a sigh. “So, after all this, I understand if you don’t want to see me anymore.”

Alphonse had to take a moment to think of what to say, _how_ to say it. As he did, he could see Greed shifting his weight nervously in front of him. The silence stretched on, before Alphonse inhaled deeply, steeled himself, and returned his gaze to meet Greed’s.

“All the time we’ve spent together,” Alphonse began, voice steady and determined, “Were you acting?”

This time, it was Greed who was at a loss for words. “Huh?” The homunculus exclaimed, his expression twisted in confusion, “Well- no.”

“Have you been pretending about the way you feel? About me, and everything else?” Al continued on, determined, golden gaze unwavering.

“No,” Greed said again, firmer this time, meeting Alphonse’s steady gaze head-on.

Alphonse let out a sigh of relief, and smiled up at the other man, gaze warm. “Then you’re still you,” he watched as Greed blinked down in surprised, but continued on, “And that’s all I care about.”

Greed seemed stunned into silence again, and Alphonse gave the other man—the homunculus—a moment to gather his thoughts.

“So you still want to be together?” Greed asked, awkward but insistent, needing to know for sure.

“Yes,” Alphonse answered, not a shred of doubt in his voice. If Greed was still kind, and caring, confident, strong, and self-assured, then that was enough for Al. He’d been suspecting the other man was something other than human since he’d seen those slit pupils, anyway.

“Although,” Alphonse said with a sheepish laugh after a moment, “The whole ‘200 years old’ thing might take some getting used to. Some of those stories you told me, I’m guessing….”

“They weren’t exactly recent,” Greed finished with a grin, and Al could see the tension drain from the other’s body—he hadn’t even noticed when Greed had gotten so tense.

“Well,” Dolcetto spoke up, and Alphonse jumped in his seat, twisting to look at the chimera. He’d completely forgotten the others were here, too. Dolcetto grinned, having obviously noticed Al’s reaction, but thankfully didn’t comment on it, “I’m glad that’s all settled.” 

“Me too,” Alphonse replied honestly, smiling at Dolcetto, and then at the other two chimera. “And I really would like to spend some time with the rest of you, too. Now that we’re properly acquainted, and all.” He finished with a grin.

 _Although I’m probably going to have nightmares about that moment, now_ , Alphonse thought to himself, suppressing a sigh. But he wouldn’t have believed Greed otherwise, if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. And, as his mind flashed back to Roa’s war hammer, he didn’t quite manage to suppress a shudder as he realized, _it could have been much worse._

Alphonse glanced over as he heard a creak of wood off to his left, and Martel got up off of the crate she’d been sitting on. When he turned back towards Greed, the homunculus extended a hand to him, palm up, and Alphonse took it with an appreciative smile. He was pulled into a standing position, and steadied himself with a hand on Greed’s arm.

Behind Greed, Roa swung his massive war hammer up onto his shoulder, and without a word, opened the door before walking out. Dolcetto spared a glance at Greed before walking out as well, Martel following near-silently behind him. That left just the two of them alone, and Alphonse took the opportunity to look up at Greed again, although he couldn’t help the way his eyes caught on the homunculus’ throat, his vision flashing back to blood and steel.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” Alphonse said softly, tearing his gaze up to meet Greed’s.

“It’ll take a lot more than that to get rid of me,” the homunculus replied with a gentle grin, raising a hand to lightly cup Alphonse’s jaw, “I promise.”

The alchemist closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, laying his own hand over top of Greed’s, and felt the hard metal jut of tiny wings under his fingers. That was a much better memory, Al reasoned. He looked up at homunculus with a soft smile, and leaned up to close the small gap between them. 

It was a gentle kiss, warm, and sweet, and Al felt his nerves calm even further. To feel Greed’s warm, solid presence was a steady reassurance. Greed was still here, still alright. Al opened his eyes again to meet Greed’s, those vibrant purple eyes that used to send a curious thrill through him. There was no curiosity associated with it now, but the warmth in them still sent a thrill through Alphonse, and he smiled brightly at the man before him, savouring the moment.

They stood like that for a good few moments, simply appreciating each other’s presence, before Alphonse eventually pulled away with regret. “I guess we shouldn’t leave the others waiting too long,” the alchemist said with a sheepish smile.

Greed sighed as he pulled away as well, “Yeah,” the homunculus admitted. But before Al could move too far away, the slightly taller man slung an arm around Alphonse’s shoulder, pulling him in close and smiling down at the alchemist.

Alphonse just leaned in against him in return, smiling warmly back, and with that, they headed out after the others, side by side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan to post the epilogue tomorrow! And if you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading!!


	4. Epilogue

“You’re coming to visit?” Al exclaimed happily, shifting the receiver to his other ear as he set the bowl that he was holding down on the counter, “That’s great!” 

“You bet it is! We figure we’ve given you enough of a chance to settle in by now,” Ed stated over the phone, and Alphonse could picture the wicked grin that was certainly on his older brother’s face, “And knowing you, you’re probably in desperate need of some excitement in your life.”

Al listened with a smile, not even bothering to try and butt into his brother’s long-winded speech. At the clatter of food in the bowl, Butterscotch had made her way over, and Al watched as the orange-and-white cat hopped up on the counter, stroking a hand across the cat's back as she walked past towards her food bowl.

“I mean, really,” Ed continued on, “How have you gotten by without me?” The elder brother remarked, punctuating his statement with a mock-sigh.

Alphonse couldn’t help but snort at that, considering his eventful stay in Dublith, especially everything that had happened with Greed, “You’d be surprised, big brother.”

“Pfft, right,” Ed replied jokingly, before Al heard a quiet huff in the background, and then a sudden burst of static that sounded like the phone being fumbled, and a muffled ‘hey!’ that was distinctly his brother.

Already knowing what happened, Al didn’t wait for another sound before chiming in happily, “Hi, Winry!”

“Al!” The engineer replied cheerfully, “It’s so nice to hear your voice! How have things been?”

“They’ve been good! Not exactly what I expected when I moved here,” Al admitted with a chuckle, “But really good.” The alchemist reiterated, voice warm and sincere, and couldn’t help but smile to himself. 

“What about you?” Al prompted after a short pause, curious to hear about what may be going on with his childhood friend.

“Kind of the same deal, actually,” Winry said with a laugh, “Unexpected, but really good.” She paused for a moment, but before Al could ask what she meant, Winry spoke up again, “But that sort of catching up is better done in person! And it won’t be too long before we’re there, anyway.” She concluded, and Al could hear the grin in her voice. 

With that, the automail engineer started to say farewell, but before she had a chance to hang up, Alphonse cut in, “Oh! Sorry, there was one more thing I’ve been meaning to tell Ed. Do you mind passing the phone back?”

“’Something’?” Winry intoned, curiously.

Al grinned, lowering his voice just in case Ed was eavesdropping, and warned the engineer, “You might want to plug your ears.”

Winry just laughed, agreeing to put Ed back on the line before saying a quick goodbye, and then Al listened as she passed the receiver back.

“-oh yeah, sure, after you _stole it_ in the first place!” He heard Ed mumble across the line, followed by a sharp smack and an indignant yelp. The grumbling got louder as Edward put the phone up to his head properly, and Al took his chance to jump in before Ed actually started talking.

“Oh, and while you’re here visiting,” Al began, pausing for a second to listen, and when he couldn’t hear Ed’s muttering anymore, he knew his brother was listening. Al took a deep breath, before continuing, all in one go, “You can meet my boyfriend, Greed! Okay gotta go, can’t wait to see you both, bye!”

Al immediately pulled the phone away from his ear, just in time for-

“You’re _dating?!_ ” Ed shrieked over the phone, and then, even higher pitched, “His name is _what?!!_ "

Al quickly hooked the phone back onto its cradle, hanging up with a shake of his head, grinning.

He had known Ed was going to overreact, so it was best to give the man some time to settle down, which the journey here should be perfect for. This way, by the time Ed actually got here, hopefully his anger would be less of an explosion and more of a simmer.

His brother was right about one thing, though. Things were definitely going to be exciting while they were here.

\---

“You sure I should be here?” Greed asked, rubbing at the back of his neck in nervousness.

“Trust me,” Al said, smiling over at his boyfriend, “It’s better to just cut him off at the pass, or Ed will be fuming the whole time he waits.” After a beat, eyes bright, the alchemist added, “Plus, I really think you two will get along, once he calms down.”

There was a low rumble in the ground, and Al looked over to see a steam engine approaching them, where they waited at the train station. The brakes squealed loudly in protest as the train slowed to a complete stop, and Al glanced back at Greed with a smile as the whistle blew, and then, finally, the doors of the train slid open.

There was a moment of silence as Alphonse turned back to look at train again. And then, first dull, but growing steadily louder, he could hear the heavy, clomping thud of footfalls. 

And then, as a figure with golden hair and clad in a long brown coat stepped heavily onto the platform of the train station, it stopped. A beat passed, and then, like lightning, that head whipped towards him, golden gaze burning right into Alphonse.

“ _Alphonse,_ ” Edward growled, teeth grinding together, eyes trained on Al like a predator as the older alchemist stalked towards him, “My own _brother!_ And you just _hang up_ on me?!! _And_ before I even get a chance to ask you about this—“ Ed’s eyes trailed slowly to the side, noticing for the first time the figure standing beside Al, “This…” he trailed off, looking at Greed, voice dropping in confusion, “…boyfriend?”

“Brother!” Al chimed happily, smiling widely at Ed. And, trailing behind the storm that was the elder Elric brother, shaking her head, “Winry!”

“This is Greed,” Al introduced with a bright smile, gesturing at the homunculus, “My boyfriend!”

In front of them, Edward just spluttered, looking the taller man over. Al smiled to himself, knowing his brother was having trouble processing, between his protective instincts, and…Yep, there was that sparkle in Ed’s eyes, and he could practically hear his brother thinking the words ‘so cool!’

After all, Edward and Greed shared a propensity for the same ridiculous, over-the-top style.

Greed was decked out in his typical outfit today- pointed boots, leather pants, armour shirt, the leather vest with the fur collar, and even the purple-tinted circular sunglasses, so that his slit pupils weren’t immediately apparent. He could see Ed’s eyes flicking from one part of the outfit to the next, growing wider each time. Finally, when the alchemist’s eyes reached his face, Ed seemed to be left in a state of stunned confusion, undecided between praising his style or going off on Greed.

“Yo,” Greed said simply with a grin and a wave, “Al’s told me all about you. Let’s be friends.”

Ed just spluttered, still staring, his eyebrow twitching. But from beside him, Winry extended a hand for the man to shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Greed.” She said, warm and polite, but Al easily recognized the calculating look in her eyes. Greed’s style was having the opposite effect on her, and the engineer appeared to be carefully eyeing him up.

Greed took her hand in a firm shake, and as Ed’s eyes tracked the movement, the alchemist finally snapped out of his stupor.

“What kind of a name is ‘Greed,’ anyway?” Ed spit, gaze off to the side, acting like he was blowing him off.

Al sighed. It seemed Ed’s conflicting emotions had finally settled, only to land on ‘haughty, begrudging admiration.’

“It’s mine,” the homunculus was quick with a quip, grinning, but there wasn’t a hint of venom in his voice, only rumbling humour.

“Well!” Alphonse announced, clapping loudly, gathering everyone’s attention, “Now that you’re here, why don’t we sit down somewhere and catch up? There’s a café just around the corner.” Al declared with a smile, a glint in his eye. He knew because he’d looked into it beforehand, planning on somewhere nearby where Ed hopefully wouldn’t make too much of a scene. Of course, Ed often made a scene no matter where he was, but Al could dream.

\---

It was only a couple minutes’ walk to the café, where they grabbed a table and a few drinks, keeping Ed and Winry’s bags nearby (thankfully they both traveled light). Al had sat down on one side with Greed next to him, Winry sweeping in to take the seat across from Greed before Ed had the chance, and Al silently thanked her for doing what she could to waylay the death stare that was likely incoming from Ed.

The conversation started off a bit… tense, but the more they talked, the more the three childhood companions realized how happy they were to see each other again, and the underlying tension was slowly replaced with excitement.

“So, what have you two been up to since I’ve been gone?” Al prompted with a smile.

“Well, my fanatical engineer keeps tinkering with my automail,” Ed snickered, patting his left leg and shooting a sly smirk at Winry.

“Don’t pretend you don’t benefit from it!” Winry protested, and Al was silently thankful she didn’t have a wrench within reach. “I swear, you try and do something nice for a guy…” She said with an exasperated shake of the head, but the corner of her mouth was quirked up in a small smile.

“Mostly just more of the same, really,” Ed said with a shrug, and Al laughed.

“And you said I was the one with the boring life!” Al prodded him, teasing.

“Hey, I said _mostly_ the same,” Ed snapped back in indignation, leaning up over the table accusingly. Then, with a grin, Ed dropped back into his seat, and after a beat he spoke again.

“There is one thing that’s changed…” Ed muttered, looking off to the side, away from the group, and Al blinked in surprise as he saw a slight blush dusting his brother’s cheeks. The older alchemist didn’t say anything else, face screwed up in embarrassment, and he slowly raised his left hand above the table and into view.

There, on Ed’s finger, was a simple golden ring.

Al hastily shifted his gaze over to Winry, only to discover that she was hiding her flushed face behind her hands, a matching golden ring on her finger.

This time, Al was the one jumping up out of his seat, slamming his hands on the table. “You two got _married?!_ You don’t even invite your own brother, and then you complain about me _dating_ ,” Al exclaimed with a shake of his head, still reeling.

“Not married!” Winry hastily protested, her face beet red, “Just e-engaged. We’d never have the wedding without you, Al!”

The alchemist in question slumped back into his seat, running a hand through his short hair with a sigh. “Why must everyone I care about keep trying to give me a heart attack?” Al said, exasperated, thinking back to when Greed revealed he was a homunculus, before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

“Nevertheless,” Alphonse said after a moment, looking back at his still-blushing companions with a smile, “That’s amazing! I’m really happy for you two,” Al exclaimed eagerly, voice bubbling with joy, golden eyes threatening to tear-up from happiness.

Ed and Winry just mumbled embarrassedly, and Al was tempted to shake his head fondly at the pair again. Honestly, it felt like he and Greed had the more emotionally mature relationship between the two of them, and he was dating a _homunculus._

Next to him, said homunculus spoke up, drawing Al’s attention. “Then, is this…” Greed mumbled in awe, lifting his right hand to stare at the ouroboros ring Alphonse had given him, before looking up at Al in shock.

Al felt his face flush a deep red immediately, smacking Greed over the back of the head hurriedly. “You know it’s not!” He hissed, embarrassedly. Maybe Greed wasn’t human himself, but he had _definitely_ been alive long enough to be familiar with human culture.

The homunculus’ façade instantly broke, leaning back in his chair with a loud, pleased laugh and that wide, shark-like grin.

Okay, so maybe not _that_ emotionally mature, Al admitted to himself with a chuckle.

He looked back to find that Ed and Winry had both recovered from their embarrassment, and were now looking at the two of _them_ in confusion. Al just flapped a hand at them with a flustered smile, before hurriedly throwing the attention back to them, “So, have you chosen the date yet?”

Ed just flushed again, and when the alchemist failed to say anything except for unintelligible grumbles, Winry swallowed her embarrassment down and answered for them. “N-not exactly, but we were thinking sometime in the spring.” The engineer explained, cheeks dusted pink, “We’ll send out invitations so that everyone has time to figure out travel plans.” She paused, smiling and glancing over at Greed, and then back to Alphonse, “And everyone’s welcome to bring a plus one, of course.”

Alphonse smiled back, but the thought gave him pause. Would Greed want to go? Al knew how attached the homunculus was to the Devil’s Nest and the people there, had seen it himself. And to go without all that… Al wasn’t sure if it was outside of Greed’s comfort zone. Wondering this, Alphonse looked over at his boyfriend with a small, amiable smile.

“I’d love it if you came with me,” Alphonse stated honestly, “But only if you want to go. If you want to stay here at the Devil’s Nest, I understand.”

Greed seemed to consider this, bringing a hand up to his face in contemplation. From what the homunculus had told him, it had been sometime since Greed had really traveled, especially without his companions. But Alphonse also knew that Greed shared part of his desire to see all he could, even the whole world. To do so without his people, however… it was probably a difficult choice for the homunculus. A long moment passed in consideration, before Greed seemed to make up his mind, meeting Alphonse’s eyes once again. 

”Sure,” Greed declared with a shrug, directing a warm smile at Alphonse, “After all, I’ll have you with me, won’t I?”

Alphonse felt his heart skip a beat at the easy admission, that having the alchemist at his side was enough. There was still a tension to the homunculus’ shoulders that suggested he was more worried than he was saying at the moment, but to overcome that for Al’s sake…

“If my brother wasn't here, I’d kiss you right now,” Alphonse stage-whispered fondly, grinning, and heard Ed gag from the other side of the table. Al could only hope that Greed could see in his golden eyes everything he couldn’t say—the love and appreciation, the swell of emotion he felt for the homunculus.

The look Greed gave him in return made him certain the homunculus understood, Greed’s own eyes shining with affection behind those tinted shades, his lips quirked up in one of those soft, warm smiles that Alphonse always savoured.

And in that moment, Al couldn’t be more thankful that he’d moved to Dublith. That he’d met this incredible, implausible person—who, as much as he claimed to be avaricious, was always unfailingly honest, compassionate, and kind. And if Al was falling for him, well… that was fine by him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've made it all the way to the end, thank you so much for reading!!! This sure is a rarepair, so it means a lot that you gave this fic a shot!! I hope that you enjoyed it!! nwn
> 
> Also, there's one scene I have in mind that I'm really tempted to write, so I might end up writing a short sequel sometime... I make no promises, but it is a possibility! Let me know if that's something you'd be interested in!
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for reading!!! Your kudos, bookmarks, and comments really mean so much to me!! ;w;


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